10 Kitchen Lighting Tips To Brighten Up Your Space

In the hardest working room in your home, tactical lighting is a must. There’s a science to lighting a kitchen just right, and we’re sharing the measurements and formulas you need to know. Click through for kitchen lighting tips that are sure to provide the perfect ambience for whipping up your favorite dish or enjoying a casual meal around the kitchen island.

Keep sight lines open. As withdining rooms, hang all pendants 30 inches to 36 inches above an island or peninsula so that sight and conversation lines aren’t interrupted, and fixtures remain out of the way of meal prep.

Address all work areas. To guarantee that all prep areas in the kitchen are well-lit, install pendants above the island or peninsula, task lighting under upper cabinets and recessed lights in the ceiling.

Photographer: Alex Lukey

Source: House & Home March 2017

Designer: Samantha Farjo

Install a trio of pendants over large kitchen islands. Larger islands look best with three pendant lights spaced at equal distances from the center of the island, with at least 20 inches between each light.

Photographer: Virginia Macdonald

Source: House & Home February 2017

Designer: J Gibson

For smaller kitchen islands, use two pendants. Ensure that the pendants are spaced at equal distances from the center of the island, with at least 30 inches between them.

Photographer: Alex Lukey

Source: House & Home March 2017

Designer: Sarah Hartill

Be mindful of cabinetry color. Darker kitchen cabinets don’t reflect light as well as their lighter counterparts, so more fixtures (or lightbulbs with greater wattage) may be required.

Photographer: Janet Kimber

Source: House & Home March 2017

Designer: 31 Westgate

Be strategic about placing your pot lights. Divide your ceiling height in half to calculate how far apart recessed lights should be. An eight foot-high ceiling should have lights spaced four feet apart.

Photographer: Colin Way

Source: House & Home July 2017

Designer: Aly Velji

Don’t forget about natural light. In a room as frequented as the kitchen, natural light is not only an energy saver, it’s integral to creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Designer Sophie Burke maximized the amount of natural light in her own Vancouver kitchen with a bank of windows along the back wall and a skylight above the stove.

Photographer: Janis Nicolay

Source: House & Home April 2017

Designer: Sophie Burke

Choose lighting that complements the rest of the home. Streamlined light fixtures in architectural shapes are well-suited to homeowner Alison Gordon’s industrial-cool kitchen.

Photographer: Stacey Brandford

Source: House & Home March 2017

Designer: Shirley Meisels

Try a new take on pot lights. The black flush lights seen here in architect Darcie Watson’s Toronto kitchen are sleek and spare, adding a graphic punch without overwhelming the design.